Wednesday, January 3, 2018

"Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in."

Before we get into the Epiphany season, while we’re still in Christmastide, I want to hit a couple of significant carolines – and this one qualifies:

“No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.”

As
mentioned before in one of my hymnlines on the first half of this
stanza (“How silently… the wondrous gift is given”), this line follows
that thinking. The word meek is so often categorized with “weak,” and
that’s not a good thing. The first synonym for meek is humble – then
submissive and compliant. All three of those fit better into our
understanding of the biblical concept (and this carol’s meaning) of
those meek souls who stand ready to receive the Christ Child: humbly, in
submission, open to being shaped or molded.

The word
that always jumps out at me in this hymnline is the word “still.” Even
now, over 2,000 years later, the dear Christ is standing by, reading to
make his entrance into the lives of the meek souls. About thirty years
after the manger event, the grown-up Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”
(Matthew 5:5) People of gentleness and kindness seem to have a special
place in the mind and heart of God, and he is STILL being welcomed and
received by folk of that ilk.

He still comes to us. Be still to receive him.

[Everybody
skips this stanza, it seems… in worship and on recordings. I couldn’t
find another good recording online to post. I guess you’ll have to sing
it to yourself!]

Hymnlines - Hemlines: Get it?! :)

About Me

A native of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, went to high school with Dolly Parton... and am still friends with her sister Stella who was "most talented" with me in our graduating class of 1967! Was a Southern Baptist for most of my life,am currently affiliated with Cooperative Baptists. Have worked in Baptist and Presbyterian churches - basically consider myself a Baptiterian!

Love words (texts). Am a published hymn-writer, anthem-text writer and composer. Into live theater, museums and antique stores. Enjoy good movies and PBS dramas.

Married to Carlita - Two bonus sons: Dustin,and Clint and his wife Sherry with our two grandsons Kyle and Carson who just happen to live close by!